My arguement for Iguodala as a potential top SG

[tk76]

I'm copying most of this from something I posted at philaphans, and I'm sorry if it should be put within another post...

I am looking forward to Iguodala playing SG next to Young next year. Honestly, I don't think it will be a change in Iguodala's role (a Swing playing SG is much like a swing playing SF.) I am mostly looking forward to seeing Iguodala and Young grow into potentially the most dominant SG/SF tandem in the league- sort of what NJ envisioned from V.C. and R.J.- but more team oriented and much better on the defensive side of the ball.

Iguodala patterns his game after Kobe- which is a good idea since they are both athletic 6'6' swings who play effectively on both ends at SG, and Kobe is one of the all time greats at his position.

Note: KOBE IS MUCH BETTER THAN IGUODALA. My point is more that Iguodala can be a Kobe light for the Sixers. Sort of like the Drexler to M.J. (but of course MJ>Kobe and Drexler>>Iguodala.)

Here are the numbers to compare from 82games:
The comparison is valid because both carry the burden of being the focal point of their offense, and both play 40+ minutes, while often defending the opponents best SG/SF. Kobe gets bonus for not having a great PG and being able to keep up his numbers while shooting more (and that's why he will be in the HOF.) Iguodala gets bonus for having a worse talent level around him. he has lesser shooters and lesser post scorers to work off of.


Kobe: fg% .46, eFG% .50
Jumpers: 75% of total shot attempts, eFG% .457 on jumpers
Passer rating 9.7 (composite of assist and passing T.O.'s)
Reb rating 15.8
Drawn Foul%: 15.5%
Hands rating : 21 (amazing even for a top PG let alone a SG)
Steals: 1.8

Iguodala:fg% .456, eFG% .495 -> Same as Kobe
Jumpers: 72% of total shot attempts, eFG% .419 on jumpers
Passer rating 8.4
Reb rating 14.8
Drawn Foul%: 13.9%
Hands rating : 19 (also amazing even for a top PG let alone a SG)
Steals: 2.1


So using Kobe as the gold standard for what we want from Iguodala as a SG:

Iguodala needs to raise his fg% on jumpers by about 4% or more. Meaning he needs to hit 1 in 25 more jumpers than he does already- which should be an area that improves over the years since most good players develop better jumpers as they progress in the league. Otherwise, other than not taking as many shots, Iguodala has similar productivity and efficiency to Kobe.

What makes Kobe a superstar is that he can maintain reasonable efficiency AND be a superstar.

To his credit, Iguodala has shown that he can play 40+ min, and be the teams offensive and defensive focal point- which not many players can do. It does not put him at Kobe's level, but he is an impressive player.

[SendEm]

Even beyond the fact that Kobe is 50 million times better than Iggy you have to take into account that you are comparing a 30 year old (in AUG.) player that is at the point in his career where his is protecting his body to a 24 year old player that simply doesn't like contact and doesn't have a superior handle. They ON PAPER have a very similar shot attempt chart. But in reality it's not close at all. Kobe creates layups and dunks for himself in the half court offense by weaving through sometimes all 5 defenders. Iguodala probably doesn't even do that in his dreams. But for an Iggy optimist one day Iggy will potentially get his field goal percentages up to where Kobe's currently are therefore adding validity to this comparison. But to a REALIST like myself when that day comes that Iggy is increasing his field goal percentages his athletic ability will also be decreasing therefore changing his entire approach to basketball much like Kobe has been doing. At age 30 Iggy will not be in the same league of athletic ability that Kobe is at 30, Iggy just doesn't have the quick feet and agility.

Iggy simply needs to get more layups in the half court, which we all know is an impossible task for him. If not more layups then he needs to become a great shooter like Kevin Martin, Hedo and now Danny Granger. I doubt this happens for many years by looking at that higher arching brick of a shot Iggy has.

[51X3RF4N]

Not to mention the fact that Kobe is one of the most clutch players out there ever, and Iggy is simply not clutch.

Kobe wants the ball and lets it be known. He makes the big shots, he takes the big shots. He is far superior in the open court and shoots FAR FAR better than Iggy. He can score from anywhere, against anyone in the NBA, anytime. Iggy can not. Iggy in my opinion is definitely NOT the offensive focal point, as Andre Miller and Lou Williams clearly are. Even if they want Iggy to be, he isn't good enough.

But yeah, other than that, their stats are similar enough for Iggy to be a Kobe "light"....yeah right.

No way in hell. Kobe is a #1 option on ANY team in the NBA, NO MATTER who they have already.

Iggy is a #3 option on a team with guys like Miller, Daly, Evans, Smith, Carney, Young, Lou Will and Willie Green. I say #3 because he wasn't good enough to be #2, and we are all calling for a #1 in our next PF and we all are hoping Thad becomes a #2, pushing Iggy to #3 and making the whole team better.

Terrible, terrible comparison in terms of style of play.

Iggy is a defensive specialist. He can sometimes score from the outside, and he is decent at driving to the hole and dunking.

Kobe is a freak of nature on offense, plays decent defense but is by no means a specialist, has a GREAT outside shot, can dunk VERY well and drive to the hole. O yeah, and Kobe RARELY misses FT's when they count, while Iggy brick's em up whether or not it counts(in the clutch).

[Sixersftw]

sixerfan wouldn't being "clutch" be mental makeup and not a style of play? michael jordan and reggie miller's game aren't similar and they were "clutch". MJ and kobe seem to have the same game but MJ wouldn't have let another team come back from a route and beat him in the playoffs . and damn sure not in the nba finals. do they not have similar games? Tk76 acknowledged that kobe is much better, and likely knows that he isn't in the same time zone when it comes to mental toughness. but, for lack of better term, their court movements and shot selection are similar... it's just kobe is better at almost everything.

imo iguodala at the 2 is good for him. he has a bigger physical advantage at the 2, the type of players that can shut him down are fewer at the 2, and he's played the 2 before and played it well. the question is if he can play w/o someone like korver stretching the D.

[Mik317]

You guys act like he had the worse season ever.....

All TK is saying is that Iggy PATTERNS his game around Kobe and that he COULD become Kobe LITE.

FunFact: Iggy can and will get better.

Selective Reading FTW!

[SendEm]

Iggy can't get to the basket like Kobe and he can't finish like Kobe. If Iggy manages to get close to the basket his only real option is to dunk it. Kobe has about a billion different layup and dunk options. In the playoffs Iggy is completely incapable of being a threat in the paint. So he then becomes a poor outside shooting fast break dunker. You really have to base the Kobe and Iggy comparisons off of pure paper statistics and at the end of the day the game is played ON THE COURT. Their games have absolutely no similarities ON THE COURT. Iggy has much more in common with Vince Carter. Both being SG/SF players that need to drive more, but of course Iggy will never be as good as the pre chronic injury Vince.

[Mik317]

But whose to say he can't? The fact is none of us knows whether or not Iggy will come next year with his J all crisp and **** and beast on everyone.........or he could come and be fat and suck. It's a toss-up but to say that HE will NEVER be something at this point is selling him short.

[Sixersftw]

your talking to a brick wall knux. talking to a wall. trying to tell someone iguodala can improve bah!

but really, iguodala won't come back as good as pre injury/heart transplant Vince. only a handful of players ever get to see what life is like in that level. and that's not selling him short.